can the meal plan ruin your vacation`` updated with my plan``

[paulh]

ok we were going to WDW anyway for aug for 2 weeks flights booked 4 months ago ,but we booked the free dinning plan.Its driving me mad trying to work out where to eat.We always have places we go offsite to eat Outback one of them.But the thought of lossing credits was drimming me mad.Then it hit me the food is FREE and if i dont eat it i will not lose out,its a ploy by disney for me not to do the things i dont whant to do.Its my vacation and i am takeing it back the DP wont ruin it for me just help me enjoy it more
Paulh

i will take this one day at at time as i might slip back into the maddnes

ok i am upading this as i dis slip back into the madnes but decidded where to go so just got of phone and got all my ars

Day 1 we travel all day munching on everything so no TS and we arive late in disney anyway
Day 2 bomas
Day 3 hoop de doo
Day 4 the outback (for there blooming onion and sav points for outhere places)
Day 5 crystal place
Day 6 wolfgang pucks
Day 7 California Grill (we check out and back in this day)
Day 8 Aloha dinner show
Day 9 we doing a trip to clearwater (sea screamer)and doing outback when we get back as DS birthday and thats where he wants to eat
Day 10 smokey bones or chilies (outher people who are not on plan want to eat at these)
Day 11 Raglan road
Day 12 holywood and vine
Day 13 yachtsman steak house
Day 14 ohanas

using all my credits as well
Paulh

 

[formernyer]

The dining plan didn't ruin my vacation...it MADE it!!! I would have enjoyed Disney without it, but certainly not the way I did with it.

So why would you possibly be upset about having to replace Outback with a Disney TS restaurant?

McDonalds is to Outback what Outback is to most Disney TS restaurants.

 

[CamColt]

LOL! I was feeling the same way. Before we booked the free dining I knew very little about the dining plan. I started doing the math and trying to figure out what counts for what, and should we pay out of pocket for this or should we skip this, etc... Then it hit me....Who Cares??? We arent losing out on anything. Even if we "waste" a few credits here or there, its still free!!!

So Ive decided to not plan it too much and just pay whatever when we get to the restaurants. We are still doing the same meals we had planned on before the plan, but most of them will now be free. If I have to pay for a breakfast sandwich at the food court, or my kids meals at ESPN (DH & I are doing 1 2 credit meal), I will. No big deal. I'm going in expecting to pay a few hundred dollars on top of the plan, and even by doing so we will still be paying less.

 

[wdwobsessed]

I think it could ruin your trip if you LET it. If you obsess over the dollar value of everymeal and let it get to you if you don't order the most expensive thing or whatever.

But I do have to ask ... why eat off site when you can eat on site for free? I mean Outback vs. Le Cellier is NO comparison IMHO.

If you use your TS credits for the HDD or Signature places then you will still have a meal or two to eat off site.

Good luck

WDWO

 

[Dustmouse]

Sounds like another Zzub "Battle for my wallet" Disney conspiracy! Sure it looks innocent enough...free food...what could possibly go wrong. But we know better!

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Well Dang Disney. I'm just going to cancel Citrico's, CA Griill, Jiko, Boma, Spoodles where I could pay nothing and head to the Golden Corral and Pay.

Who's with me!!!!!

 

[Amyrlin]

If you go off site then you can have breakfast and dinner TS one day or a signatiure resturant.

 

[Ladybugsy]

Well Dang Disney. I'm just going to cancel Citrico's, CA Griill, Jiko, Boma, Spoodles where I could pay nothing and head to the Golden Corral and Pay.

Who's with me!!!!!

NOT ME!!!

 

[disneycrazzzy]

It didn't ruin our vacation where we were able to enjoy the dining plan. Makes you stop and relax to have one sit down meal together as a family. My husband who has always been a bit of a stick-in-the-mud when it comes to enjoying all Disney has to offer ($$$$) loves to see how we can stretch our dining plan dollar. We don't do child credits for adult meals, but we do eat at every pricey TS restaurant we can (i.e. Concourse Steakhouse, Le Cellier, etc.). He enjoys the food knowing it isn't costing an arm and a leg too. Between the dining plan and seeing how many fast passes he can hold at once, the analyst in him has a great vacation. Just wait until our after-cruise trip with "free" dining....I can see the twinkle in his eye now!!!

 

[PreppyPolyMom]

ok we were going to WDW anyway for aug for 2 weeks flights booked 4 months ago ,but we booked the free dinning plan.Its driving me mad trying to work out where to eat.We always have places we go offsite to eat Outback one of them.But the thought of lossing credits was drimming me mad.Then it hit me the food is FREE and if i dont eat it i will not lose out,its a ploy by disney for me not to do the things i dont whant to do.Its my vacation and i am takeing it back the DP wont ruin it for me just help me enjoy it more
Paulh

i will take this one day at at time as i might slip back into the maddnes

I wouldn't waste the gas, time, money going to Outback. You can stay on site and have your pick at steak. There are several restaurants that probably have better steak than Outback: Yachtsman, Le Cellier, etc.

 

[fakereadhed]

paulh- I don't think the other posters realize where you're from...they are teasing because most of us have Outback near us so it's not that special for us, while the Disney dining is once a year, if we're lucky. I understand because we used to have a fast food place called Jack in the Box around here, but they're mostly on the West Coast now. DH has to go there when he travels, so he can eat their tacos, which he agrees are greasy and have a slice of American cheese on top. But it brings back memories and is very important to him because he can't have them all the time where we live.

Good for you for realizing that it's your vacation and it's a FREE perk you can do with as you wish!

 

[Sally]

I am sort of with fakereadhed on this... it is your vacation and you should go and do what you want. There are many ways to use the credits so you won't waste them. One night go to the Outback and another night use the 2 credits for a signature meal or even do 2 sit down meals in one day. Enjoy the vacation and enjoy the fun in planning.

 

[PrincessTrisha]

Go to Outback if you want to - and don't worry about leaving extra credits - I'm sure you can plan something extra to take advantage - how about a character breakfast?

Eat what you want and enjoy.

 

[drogerstn]

Don't get trapped into the mindset that you have to maximize the value of the free DDP. On any given day, if eating at a "high priced" Disney restaurant for dinner doesn't fit your plans, consider a TS breakfast or lunch.

One question (I'll do search later): Have folks been able to use TS credits to get a CS meal? If this is an option, it can add some flexibility for some.

 

[paulh]

the reason we want to eat at outback is there are 7 outher people going but are not on dinning plan(if traveling fom uk most people book 12 months in advance with a TA and the free dinning plan is only availabe if you book direct with the USA ).thay are not in the dvc and we are, so to stay with them onsite we booked cash to stay in same resort and banked our points.We dont go gown the TA route as its easer for us being in the dvc to book our own flights as we sought out our accomaation with disney.We were going to book our rooms after our may trip to disneyland in california (anouther 2 week trip)But the free dinning made us book now
Paulh

 

[tinaluis]

OP
I'm with the others on this -- do what you normally would do and don't give it a second thought. Trying to "maximize" the plan is where the headache would come in for me. I'm just happy to have all of our meals paid for, especially the TS as we usually don't do sit-downs at WDW.

fakeredhead,
Totally OT but I know what you mean about Jack in the Box. DH and I grew up in the same neighborhood and there was a Jack in the Box on the corner near our house. Once they closed, we really missed them, so we get excited when we're able to eat there. In fact, the only souvenir I bought my mom, dad, sister and brother when we drove to the Grand Canyon was tacos from Jack in the Box which we got on the drive home. On our recent trip to NC/SC our hotel was located directly across the street from Jack in the Box. We ate so many tacos while we were there that now we have a new Jack in the Box taco fan in our family -- our oldest DD. If you're truly missing them, Burger King has a version of tacos that are pretty close to Jack in the Box's.

 

[paulh]

is this jack in the box a must do for our california/vegas trip
Paulh

 

[fakereadhed]

For the sake of my reputation I want to make it clear the it is DH that must have the Jack in the Box. I am also not recommending it as a must. And I will NOT put him on to the ones at Burger King, unless he ups his life insurance policy. (His cholesterol is elevated. )

 

[paulh]

so fakereadhed if i want to make the most of the DDP i will have to avoid jack in thebox proberley put on to much weight before we go
Paulh

 

[fakereadhed]

so fakereadhed if i want to make the most of the DDP i will have to avoid jack in thebox proberley put on to much weight before we go
Paulh

That and you might feel too ill afterward to use DDP!